Push notifications API – how to deliver notifications to a selected group of users?
Web push notifications usually work in an automated manner. However, there are situations when we want to send messages only to a specific group of recipients. Push notifications API is a solution that enables sending messages at a specific time and to specified devices.
Automatic or dedicated subscriber base?
Companies using web push messages usually strive to maximise their base of subscribers who, in turn, are recruited from among website visitors. Such a model works well, for example, in e-stores. However, different business models may assume various ways of communication and target groups. In some cases, it is the customer who creates the recipient bases for their communication based on web push notifications. Then push notifications API will be a perfect solution. How does push notifications API working this way differ from the standard service?
How does push notifications API work?
In this case, the subscriber base is created on the basis of targeted selection, for example based on the company’s CRM system. Push notifications via API are sent only to selected users – for example, logging in to their individual account on the store’s website. Of course, they must also agree in advance to receive notifications, as is the case with an automatic subscriber base.
The role of the service provider is also different. It is the base administrator who decides on the selection of recipients and the time of sending messages. The platform sending web push notifications is responsible for their delivery. Push notifications API enables providing full statistics related to messages, as well as their subsequent analysis. However, the administrator who sends notifications via API to selected recipients is not responsible for maintaining the base, because this is done only by the customer.
There is one more difference between this and traditional notification sending. Users’ personal data is processed by the customer because CRM must link browser identifiers to specific users. They must give special consent to the processing of personal data.
From a technical point of view, web push notifications are sent via API immediately to recipients. If the user uses multiple devices, the administrator can decide which of them the notification will be sent to. The web push notification sending system uses the identifiers of browsers of persons who have subscribed to receive notifications. The information necessary to get the message is saved in the browser. Push notifications are also displayed to recipients when the website is closed. The message will be displayed to a user immediately after starting the browser, provided that the validity period of the notification has not expired.
Push notifications API – when will this solution work particularly well?
Notifications are not only for advertising purposes. We send them, among others, to existing customers as part of after-sales service. The messages can be also used by airlines, rail and bus companies or event organizers. Companies can do this from their CRM via web push API. Web push notifications targeted at a selected group of recipients do have a lot of applications.
